I don't think a short reply would do the subject justice. If you are seriously getting into wines, you may want to visit a local library or bookstore and look for books such as "Wine for Dummies," or "Great Wines Made Simple" by Andrea Immer. Both have good basic information about wines. Immer's book takes you through comparative tastings so you have an idea of what to expect from the Chardonnay grape, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, the Riesling, etc.
The books also tell which wines to chill before serving and other helpful notes.

Fully concur with both recommendations. Have all three of Andrea's books. Another excellent book that also has details on a wide variety of grapes and wines, and maps of worldwide wine regions, is Michael Schuster's "Essential Winetasting." ISBN 1-84000-205-0.

I agree with the book purchase idea, but if you want a very basic wine-tasting procedure, it's eyes-nose-mouth. Examine the wine visually, then give it a good sniff, swirl the wine, sniff it again to see what new aromas were released, and then taste it. Make sure the wine touches all the parts of your tongue, and you might breathe a little air into your mouth to oxidize it a bit.

That said, definitely buy the book. This explanation doesn't do the process justice. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]